A Relaxing Spa Break at The Malvern in Worcestershire

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Every muscle in my body ached and I could barely stop yawning – so exhausted I was after spending four days moving house that even the two and half hour’s drive to Worcester to The Malvern Spa Hotel wasn’t filling me with dread. The thought of a relaxing night away with a few of my blogging friends was enough to keep me going.

The Malvern Spa Hotel

So when I turned into an industrial estate and passed a huge supermarket, I had to stop the car and double-check the address. Having been so preoccupied with other matters, I hadn’t bothered to do any research about the hotel spa – I had envisaged a large country pile surrounded by the rolling hills of Malvern, instead, I was in front of a fairly standard building on a huge car park next to a Premier Inn.

After triple checking my location and realising I was in the right place, I met my friends and we were shown into the restaurant to begin our afternoon tea and a glass of prosecco. A great start to what ended up being an enjoyable stay…

The Malvern may not be set in the most scenic of settings, however, looks can be deceptive, because once you enter the hotel’s sliding doors, and greeted by the friendly staff on reception, you soon forget where you are.

The reason for The Malvern’s unusual location is a carefully thought out one – it wasn’t just constructed there on a whim. In fact, the hotel is next to a borehole where pure Malvern water can be extracted for its healing properties. It can be drunk, bathed in and used in several of the spa’s signature treatments. So of course, we just had to try it out!

After filling ourselves with a delectable choice of treats from cream teas and cakes, to finger sandwiches, our rooms were ready. I was pleasantly surprised by the contemporary feel of the good-sized room and its bright furnishings. Even better to get into our warm and fluffy robes and flip-flops provided by the hotel.

Did I feel self-conscious stepping out into the hallway and down the lift to the spa area? Not in the slightest – because every guest was dressed the same way!

A Malvern Spa Day

While I would have liked more time to relax in the peaceful tranquillity of the Spa’s seating area flanked with olive trees, and a centrepiece of an ornate fountain, we made our way to their indoor/outdoor pool – which was fantastic. Slipping into the warm and soothing Malvern water and then heading outside to use the different hydrotherapy jets really released the tension straight away.

I even spent some time in the Crystal Steam room before braving the icy water of the Bucket Drench Shower.

We were all enjoying the facilities a bit too much when we realised our dinner reservation was fast approaching. A quick shower and change and we were back in the restaurant sipping an aperitif before ordering our meal.

Dining at The Malvern Spa Hotel

The Malvern’s ala carte menu had a wide choice of different dishes, and I opted to share the most scrummy baked camembert before tucking into a huge rump steak adorned with onion rings and big fat chips. I am often wary of ordering steaks because many establishments get it so wrong. But I am pleased to say mine was cooked to perfection – rare and juicy.

After several more glasses of wine, it was time to call it a night – and perhaps it was all that steam and water, or the bottle of wine and no children to wake me up, but I slept very soundly…

You would have thought I would still be full from the previous night’s meal but I still managed to snaffle some smoked salmon for breakfast the following morning. The Malvern offer the usual continental fare, as well as a choice of cooked breakfasts made to order.

The Malvern Spa massage

Before I headed home, I booked myself into the Spa for a stress-relief massage. The therapist was both friendly and polite – and the massage was extremely relaxing – I think I may have even nodded off. My only criticism, I could have probably done with a touch more pressure – so knotted are all my muscles.

It was a great finish to a what was a relaxing experience overall, and while my first impression of The Malvern was a little dubious, it’s a fantastic choice for those looking for a budget spa break away from the kids, as it’s an adult-only establishment. With packages starting at £139 per room for dinner, bed and breakfast, it’s great value, in fact, you get a lot for your money, which isn’t often the case these days.

The verdict of my Malvern spa break

Would I go back again? Definitely – and so would my friends. We all thought the staff, the food, the pool and the spa were all excellent and it was well worth the journey. The purpose was for me to feel more relaxed after my hectic weekend, and I did. That Malvern water certainly did the trick!

* I was a guest of The Malvern Spa for the purposes of this review. As always my views are my own.